Connecting tie for metal concrete pouring forms

ABSTRACT

A connecting tie for use with a metal concrete pouring form. The tie includes an elongated flat bar adapted for attachment at each end to a metal pouring form to hold two forms in a spaced apart and parallel relationship thereby forming a concrete receiving cavity therebetween. A resilient seal is disposed transversely across each side of the bar adjacent each end of the bar in order to seal the tie to the metal forms.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to concrete pouring forms and, more particularly, to a connecting tie for use with metal pouring forms.

II. Description of Related Art

There are many previously known panel systems for forming poured concrete walls, floors and ceilings, hereinafter collectively referred to as walls. Furthermore, a number of these previously known systems utilize reusable aluminum panels.

In these previously known aluminum panel systems, the panels are generally rectangular in shape having a top, bottom and two spaced apart sides. At least two panels are positioned in a spaced apart relationship relative to each other and form a concrete receiving cavity therebetween. Consequently, after the entire panel system has been erected in the shape of a desired poured concrete wall, the concrete is poured into the cavity and allowed to set. Thereafter, the aluminum panels are removed from the concrete wall and reused in subsequent projects.

In order to secure the panels together in the spaced apart relationship both prior and during the concrete pour, a plurality of connecting ties are placed at vertically spaced positions along each side of the connecting form. Each end of each tie is then secured to its associated connecting form by a pin extending through the side of the metal form and a receiving hole in the connecting tie. Consequently, these connecting ties maintain the forms in a spaced apart and parallel relationship despite the pressures imposed on the form during the concrete pour. Following completion of the concrete pour and after the concrete has set, the pins and panels are removed and the outwardly protruding ends of the concrete tie are broken off.

In order to accommodate the thickness of the connecting tie, the panels typically include a plurality of vertically spaced notches along each side of the form. These notches have a depth of at least one-half the thickness of the connecting tie so that, with the connecting tie positioned within the notch, the remainder of the sides of adjacent forms, i.e. the portion of the sides outside the notch, abut against each other to provide a generally flat surface for the concrete during the concrete pour.

One disadvantage of these previously known metal or aluminum pouring form systems is that the connecting ties have a thickness typically somewhat less than the thickness of the facing notches between the adjacent panel forms so that small spaces are open around the connecting ties. Thereafter, during a concrete pour, liquid containing concrete, known in the industry as “cream”, flows through these open spaces around the ties and into the notch along the sides of the concrete panel. This cream hardens and thus partially fills the notch between adjacent panels.

When the pouring panels are subsequently used, it is important that adjacent panels fit snugly together. However, the hardened cream contained within the notches diminishes the overall depth of the notches so that, when a connecting tie is positioned within the notches, the connecting tie effectively separates adjacent panels from each other by a small yet unacceptable distance.

Consequently, prior to a subsequent use of the concrete panel forming system, it is necessary to remove the now hardened cream from the notches. This is conventionally accomplished by workers hammering the sides of the forms in order to break the hardened cream out of the notches. Such a procedure, however, is not only time consuming, labor intensive and therefore expensive, but also may result in damage to the metal form.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention provides a connecting tie for use with a metal concrete pouring panel system which overcomes all of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known devices.

In brief, the connecting tie, like a conventional connecting tie, comprises an elongated flat bar which is adapted for attachment at each end to a metal pouring form. With a metal pouring form attached to each end of the connecting tie, the connecting ties, in the conventional fashion, maintain the two panels in a spaced apart and parallel relationship thus forming a concrete receiving cavity therebetween. Any conventional means, such as a pin, is used not only to secure adjacent panels together, but also secure the ends of the connecting tie to the adjacent panels.

Unlike the previously known connecting ties, however, a resilient seal is disposed transversely across each side of the bar adjacent each end of the bar. Any conventional material, such as a resilient polymeric material, may be used for the seal. Likewise, any conventional means, such as an adhesive, may be used to secure the seal to the connecting tie.

In practice, with the connecting tie positioned between two adjacent panels, the resilient seal fills and therefore closes any gap that may be present between the connecting tie and the two adjacent panels entrapping the end of the tie. This resilient seal thus simply, but effectively, prevents concrete cream from entering into the notches between adjacent panels during the concrete pour.

In most cases, connecting ties are positioned in several, but not all, of the notches between adjacent panels in preparation for the concrete pour. In order to prevent the concrete cream from entering into the unused facing notches between adjacent panels, the present invention further provides a spacer which is positioned within the unused notch. This spacer, furthermore, includes a fluid seal along at least one side which fluidly seals the spacer to the panel and prevents the concrete cream from entering into the notch containing the spacer during the concrete pour.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary partial exploded elevational view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view illustrating a preferred embodiment of a connecting tie of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary partial sectional elevational view illustrating a portion of one side of a concrete pouring form;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the operation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of a spacer;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the spacer of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the installation of the spacer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

With reference first to FIG. 1, a metal concrete pouring form system 10 is shown and includes a plurality of adjacent inner panels 12 (only two of which are illustrated) and a plurality of adjacent outer panels 14 (only two of which are shown). The inner panels 12 and outer panels 14 are typically identical to each other and are arranged in a spaced apart and parallel relationship to each other thus forming a concrete receiving cavity 16 therebetween.

With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 3, each concrete receiving panel 12 or 14 is generally rectangular in shape and includes a top 18, bottom 20 and spaced apart sides 22. A generally flat sheet 24 is positioned across and secured to one side of the top 18, bottom 20 and sides 22 and it is this sheet 24 which defines one side of the cavity 16. Furthermore, the entire panel 12 or 14 is typically constructed of aluminum.

With reference now particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3, each side 22 of the panel 12 includes a plurality of vertically spaced notches 26 which extend along the thickness of the wall 22. Moreover, each notch 26 has a predefined height and depth and the notches on the inner panel 12 are aligned with the notches on the outer panel 14. A hole 28 is also provided at or near the center of each notch 26 and this hole 28 is dimensioned to receive a locking pin 30 (FIG. 1) which secures adjacent panels together.

With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 2, in order to temporarily lock the inner panel 12 to the outer panel 14 prior to a concrete pour, during a concrete pour and until the concrete has set, a plurality of connecting ties 32 extend between and are secured to the inner and outer panels 12 and 14. Each connecting tie 32 comprises an elongated flat bar 34 having a hole 36 at each end. The overall length of the connecting tie 32 will vary as a function of the desired thickness of the poured wall. Additionally, the thickness of each connecting tie 32 is slightly less than twice the depth of each notch 26.

As best shown in FIG. 2, an elongated compressible seal 40 is attached to the bar 34 on each side and at each end of the bar 34 such that the seals 40 extend transversely across the entire width of the bar 34. These seals may be made of any conventional compressible material, such as a polymeric material, and may be attached to the bar 34 in any desired fashion, such as by an adhesive.

Still referring to FIG. 2, each connecting tie 32 also includes a pair of inwardly extending notches 42 adjacent the seals 40 at each end of the connecting tie 32. These notches 42 provide the fracture point for breaking off the ends of the connecting tie 32 following the concrete pour and setting of the concrete in the conventional fashion.

With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 4, in order to attach the front panels 12 and rear panels 14 together, a plurality of vertically spaced connecting ties 32 are positioned in between the panels 12 and 14 at vertically spaced positions along the sides 22 of the panels 12 and 14. Furthermore, the connecting ties 32 are positioned so that each end of the connecting tie 32 registers with and nests within one of the notches 26 on the panel 12 or 14. The conventional connecting pin 32 is then inserted through the registering holes 28 in the panel sidewalls 22 as well as the hole 36 in the connecting tie 32. The panel is then secured in place by any conventional means, such as a wedge 44. Consequently, the pin 30 and wedge 44 not only secure the connecting tie 32 to the panels 12 and 14 thus locking the panels 12 and 14 together, but also create and maintain a tight fit between adjacent panels 12 or adjacent panels 14.

As best shown in FIG. 4, with the connecting tie 32 positioned within the notches 26, the compressible seals 40 on opposite sides of the connecting tie bar 34 compress against the sides 22 at a position substantially flush with the sheets 24 and thus with the cavity 16. In doing so, the seals 40 effectively fill and close any gap between the connecting rod 32 around the notch 26. Consequently, during the concrete pour, the seals 40 effectively prevent the cream from the concrete pour from entering into and clogging the notches 26,

Following the concrete pour and after the concrete has set, the pins 30 are removed from the forms 12 and 14, the forms 12 and 14 removed from the now set concrete wall and the connecting ties 32 broken off at the notches 42 in the conventional fashion.

In most cases and as illustrated in FIG. 1, connecting ties 32 are positioned in several, but not all, of the registering notches 26 formed along the sides 22 of the panels 12 and 14. Thus, the registering notches 26 in adjacent panels 12 or 14 provide a generally rectangular opening even after the panels 12 and 14 are assembled together as shown in FIG. 4.

With reference then to FIGS. 5-7, in order to prevent the concrete cream from entering into these notches which are devoid of a connecting tie 32, the present invention also provides a spacer 50 to close off the openings formed by these facing notches. The spacer 50 comprises a generally rectangular plate 52 having a height 54 generally corresponding to the height of the notch 26 and a thickness slightly less than the thickness or depth of the notch 26. Consequently, with the spacer 50 positioned within one notch 26 as shown in FIG. 7, the spacer 50 substantially fills the space of the notch 26.

A compressible seal 56 is secured across at least one end, or preferably both ends of the plate 52. Consequently, when the spacer 50 is positioned within the recess 26 and adjacent panels 12 or 14 secured together by the connecting pins 30, the seals 56 compress against the sides 22 of the panels 12 or 14 thus effectively sealing the notches 26 from the concrete cream.

As best shown in FIG. 7, each spacer 50 preferably has a thickness of one notch 26 so that two spacers 50 are provided within each pair of facing notches in order to seal the notches from the concrete cream. Alternatively, however, a single spacer 50 having compressible seals on both sides and a thickness substantially the same as the thickness of the connecting tie 32 may be used without deviation from the spirit or scope of the invention.

The spacer 50 is secured within the notch 26 in any conventional fashion. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of resilient fingers 58 are secured to and extend laterally outwardly from one side of the plate 52. As shown in FIG. 7, these resilient fingers 58 extend through the hole 28 in the notch 26 and not only properly position the spacer 50 within the notch 26, but also resiliently hold the spacer 50 to the form sidewall 22 in the notch 26.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides a simple and yet effective means to prevent concrete cream from entering into the notches formed between adjacent panels during the concrete pour. Having described my invention, however, many modifications thereto will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains without deviation from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A connecting tie for use with metal concrete pouring forms comprising: an elongated flat bar adapted for attachment at each end to a metal pouring form, a resilient seal disposed transversely across each side of said bar adjacent each end of said bar.
 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said seal comprises a compressible polymeric material.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said bar comprises at least one transversely inwardly extending notch adjacent each seal.
 4. The invention as defined in claim 1 and comprising a through hole extending normally through each end of said bar adjacent said seal.
 5. A concrete pouring system comprising: at least two metal concrete pouring forms, each form having spaced apart sides, a top, a bottom and face wall extending between said sides, top and bottom, said forms being positioned such that said face walls of said forms are spaced apart from each other and form a concrete receiving cavity therebetween, an elongated flat tie extending normally between said forms along the sides of said forms so that one end of said tie flatly abuts against one side of one form and the other end of said tie flatly abuts against one side of the other form, a flexible seal disposed transversely across each side of said bar adjacent each end of said bar so that said seal seals said tie to said forms.
 6. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said seal comprises a compressible polymeric material.
 7. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said tie comprises at least one transversely inwardly extending notch adjacent each seal.
 8. The invention as defined in claim 5 and comprising a through hole extending normally through each end of said tie adjacent said seal.
 9. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein each form includes a plurality of notches along each side, each notch having a predetermined height and width and comprising a spacer having a seal along one side, said spacer having a height and width substantially the same as said notch so that, with said spacer positioned in said notch, said spacer fills said notch and said seal simultaneously seals said spacer to said form.
 10. The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein said form includes a hole extending normally to and aligned with said notch and comprising a fastener attached to said spacer and extends into said hole to secure said spacer to said form.
 11. The invention as defined in claim 10 wherein said fastener comprises a spring clip. 